


7:34

by Remy_Writes5



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff, M/M, Marauders, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-09
Updated: 2019-10-09
Packaged: 2020-11-28 14:56:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20968433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Remy_Writes5/pseuds/Remy_Writes5
Summary: Everyone is born with a number on their arm that gives them a clue to their soulmate. Remus Lupin's number is absolutely no help.





	7:34

Everyone was born with a number on their arm that somehow related to their soulmate. For some, it was a phone number, an address, a time of day, a full calendar date. It made it easier for someone to find their soulmates than others. The numbers on everyone’s arms were red like scars, raised against the skin. Once you met your soulmate, your numbers went black.

Remus Lupin’s numbers were no help. 12. That was all he’d been given was a two digit clue to his soulmate. He had hoped it would be the age he met his soulmate but his twelfth year came and went and his numbers never went black.

Not that Remus was really looking to find his soulmate at the age of twelve. He wouldn’t have even really known what that meant at such a young age or how to handle it. But as the years went by and more and more of his friends found their soulmates, Remus was starting to feel a little left out.

When he went off to university in London, he was both excited and scared of the prospect of being in a new city. He worried that perhaps he was leaving his soulmate back in Scotland and making it more difficult for them to find each other. Or perhaps he was meant to come to London in order to find his soulmate. The whole bloody thing was so confusing and Remus wished he could just get it over and done with so the perpetual twisting in his stomach would cease.

“So,” Lily said, sitting down next to him on the sofa in the common room. “What’s your number?”

Remus laughed. “I don’t think James would approve of you chatting me up like this,” he scolded, elbowing Lily lightly in the side.

“Come on, Remus,” Lily groaned, scooting closer to him. “You’re so secretive about it. Everyone in the building is dying to know. Most of us got drunk at first year orientation and shared ours but not you.”

“I know,” Remus said, shifting uncomfortably. “That’s how you met James.”

“The great big prat,’ Lily said, taking a twiglet from the bowl in front of them and chucking it at her soulmate. It landed on James’ shoulder and he glanced over at Lily with a grin. He took the twiglet and popped it into his mouth as though Lily had meant to feed him.

Remus scratched idly at his arm, wishing he had something else written there, something _better._He knew he just had to be patient and one day his numbers would make sense but for now they were maddening.

Lily was still looking at him expectantly so Remus sighed and rolled up the sleeve of his jumper. “Twelve?” Lily asked, making a face. “That’s it?”

“That’s it,” Remus echoed painfully.

“Must be an address,” Lily murmured to herself pensively.

“Yeah well I can’t exactly go knocking on every house labeled twelve in the world now can I?”

Lily glanced up and smiled at him. “Well not on your own!”

“No, Lily,” Remus said, shaking his head emphatically. “It’ll happen when it happens, right?” Remus pulled down his sleeve quickly. “No use rushing it.”

“Right,” Lily agreed but sounded unconvinced.

***

Remus was meant to be meeting Lily, James and Peter out at some pub they’d found on the West End. Having had to study late in the library, he had told them he’d meet them there instead of making them wait for him. Now he’d wished he had gone with them because James’ directions were absolutely pants. Remus didn’t have money for a taxi so he was left more or less wandering the streets of West London trying to find his friends.

He had just turned down an unbelievably posh street and thought it might do to just go back the way he had come. He was about to pull out his phone and call Lily for help when something caught his eyes.

**_Number 12 Grimmauld Place. _**

It couldn’t really be that simple, could it? Remus felt his arm tingling as he stumbled towards the door, wondering if that feeling was his imagination just hoping and praying that this was the answer he’d been searching for. He was frozen on the front steps, unsure if he had it in him to knock.

In the end, he didn’t have to. He heard some shouting from inside and then the door was opening on its own accord. A dark haired boy was stepping out and nearly ran into Remus. Remus stood stock still and held his breath as the numbers on his arm surged like they were on fire for a moment and Remus knew they had gone black.

The dark-haired boy gasped and rolled up his sleeve before glancing at his watch. “Huh,” he said as if something very interesting had happened that he found mildly amusing. “Seven-thirty-four on the dot.”

He turned his arm to show Remus and smiled. The numbers on his arm were written like a digital clock, hinting to their meaning. Remus wished he had been so lucky. There was more shouting behind them as a female voice called out. “Just where do you think you’re going, Sirius?”

The boy – Sirius – glanced at Remus and then quickly shut the door. “Let’s get out of here.”

He took Remus’ hand like they were friends, cohorts, and began to run down the street away from number 12. Sirius didn’t stop running until they were a good three blocks away. Even when he stopped he didn’t release Remus’ hand as if the two of them were just out for a stroll in the moonlight.

“So, soulmate,” Sirius said, winking at Remus. “What’s your name?”

“Remus Lupin.”

“Sirius Black. Nice to meet you.”

Sirius stopped in a doorway and tugged Remus closer. His eyes flashed around Remus’ face as if taking it all in. Remus blushed and ducked his head self-consciously. “Nice to meet you too.”

Sirius chuckled and the sound drifted over Remus like a warm blanket. Just being close to Sirius gave him a high he’d never experienced before in his life. He felt like he might burst with happiness and all Sirius had done so far was hold his hand. But already things felt so comfortable between them like Sirius was someone he had known for years.

Sirius was chewing on his bottom lip like he wanted to say something and Remus thought he might have an idea of what it was. It was the same thing most people asked. Somehow he didn’t find his number to be quite as terrible anymore since it had led him to Sirius. He rolled up his sleeve and showed Sirius his number.

“Oh you poor man,” Sirius said, letting his fingers brush over the numbers. “The universe is a vague prick, huh?”

Remus laughed. “I suppose so.”

“And I thought I had it bad. Twice a day every day I’d be waiting for you to show up and every day was doubly disappointing. But at least I had some clue.”

“It’s okay,” Remus said, smiling kindly at Sirius. “I found you, didn’t I?”

Sirius nodded. “So this is it,” he said, pressing in closer to Remus. “This is what forever looks like?”

“I guess it is,” Remus said, his smile widening to the point where he didn’t think his face would be able to contain it. “Unless you think the universe got it wrong.”

“No,” Sirius said quietly, nuzzling Remus affectionately. The small, affectionate gesture sent all of Remus’ nerve endings alight. “This feels right.”

Remus turned his head and kissed Sirius – the first and only kiss of his life but he hoped not the last – and that was even better. His whole body was thrumming with energy from the contact. “Sorry,” Remus said, blushing a dark shade of red. “I should have asked before I did that.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Sirius told him, reaching up and sliding his thumb over Remus’ lips. “That was brilliant.”

They kissed again, Sirius pressing Remus back against he brickwork behind him. Remus matched what Sirius was doing, having no experience with snogging, and hoping he wasn’t complete rubbish at it. From the small noises Sirius was making, he thought he must be doing alright.

“Hi,” Sirius said after he broke the kiss, sounding a bit breathless.

“Hi,” Remus responded, licking his lips.

“Hi,” Sirius said again.

“Hi,” Remus echoed, laughing.

Sirius laughed as well and shook his head. “I’m nervous. Why am I nervous? You’re literally my soulmate. You’re perfect for me.”

Remus shrugged. “It’s okay, I’m nervous too. Maybe it’s because this is important?”

Sirius nodded. “Very important. I don’t want to come off like a twat.”

Remus’ eyes widened for a moment at Sirius’ language and then he burst out laughing into a fit of giggles. It didn’t take long before Sirius was laughing as well. Then before Remus knew it they were kissing again, smiling against each other’s lips as if they couldn’t contain their joy.

If this was his forever Remus would take it. He would take it and keep it and never let it go. Sirius was _his _and already it was the best thing Remus had ever had. Remus reached up and traced the seven and then the three and the four. He made a promise to himself that he would kiss Sirius every day, twice a day, at 7:34 to make up for all the times he hadn’t been there.

And if Sirius caught on to what Remus was doing, he didn’t say anything. He just let himself be kissed awake at 7:34 each morning and waited patiently for his kiss at 7:34 at night. Not to mention all the kisses in between that were equally as nice. But it was the 7:34 kisses that made Sirius’ stomach fill with butterflies and reminded him how lucky he was that he’d never have 7:34 pass by without Remus there with him.

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on my Tumblr (remywrites5 she said in shameless self-promotion) and people seemed to like it so I thought I'd mosey it on over here. As always, thanks for reading!


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